How To Hack Starbucks' Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Pink Drink

1. Chestnut Praline Latte (Starbucks)

To me, nutty flavors are especially holiday-like. For example, Starbucks' Chestnut Praline Latte packs a flavorful punch with not one, but two different nuts. It's deliciously sweet (but not overly so) and fittingly festive now that the coffee chain's serving their holiday drinks in red and green cups.

2. Orange Mocha

I recently tried an orange mocha for the first time, and I must say I'm hooked. While you may think of orange as more of a summer flavor, when you pair it with mocha sauce and a nice cinnamon-clove topping, it's totally winter-esque. If you still crave the chocolatey vibes of a peppermint mocha – but have been pepperminted out recently – give the orange mocha a try! Bonus points if you use dark chocolate for the mocha component.

3. Cookie Butter Cold Brew (Dunkin’)

Next up is none other than the Cookie Butter Cold Brew from Dunkin'. This iced bev is part of their current holiday menu, and a single sip of it instantly transports me to the kitchen on Christmas Eve, where my fam is ferociously baking up Christmas cookies. It's also got notes of warm spices, which amp up the holiday vibes even more.

4. Sugar Cookie Latte (Starbucks)

As another massive holiday menu hit from Starbs, the Sugar Cookie Latte is (in my opinion!) immediately way more fun than a peppermint mocha because the top of the drink gets finished off with tiny red and green sugar sprinkles. You just can't be mad at cute sprinks.

5. Peppermint Matcha Latte

Peppermint syrup in a matcha latte is truly unmatched... a master barista move, if you ask me. The minty effect mixed with matcha's earthier notes is just too good. If you've never tried this combo before, now's your sign! Plus, I'd like to think this peppermint-y bev is a bit lighter than your average peppermint mocha since it's not loaded with chocolate or espresso, which, when consumed in conjunction, can really kickstart a crazy sugar rush.

6. White Russian

I'd take a creamy cocktail over a peppermint mocha any day. Luckily, the traditional recipe for a White Russian includes coffee liqueur, so you can still get your fix of caffeine! I personally only really drink this around the holidays, and it's always been quite a warm welcome to the most wonderful time of the year.

7. Chai Espresso Martini

Espresso martinis are essentially season-less, but when you throw some chai into the recipe, they become so much more fit for the holidays. Just look at that festive star anise garnish!

8. Hot Toddy

Hot toddiesget me goin' way more than the thought of peppermint mochas do. They're super easy to make at home with just three ingredients, bourbon being the most important one. It's just the thing the doctor ordered, especially after being out in the cold winter weather.

9. Mulled Wine

Mulled wine – in whatever wine iteration, red or white – is one of the most rewarding holiday drinks. You just let all the ingredients simmer for an hour or two, and anyone who likes mulled wine knows that the warm, fuzzy feeling of your first sip is truly unbeatable.

Pamplemousse La Croix and Lavender Mocktail

Grapefruit tastes delicious in the winter, which makes this mocktail a great option for any holiday parties or girls' nights you have coming up. (via Brit + Co)

Sunshine Juice

This Sunshine Juice is the perfect summer cool-down drink, but considering we don't get as much sun as we need in the winter, it also provides a healthy dose of vitamin C that will help you feel sunnier *and* boost your immune system. (via Brit + Co)

Pomegranate White Tea Fizz

Swap the sparkling wine for sparkling grape juice to make this drink kid- and expectant mom-friendly. White tea pairs well with the pomegranate because of its full flavor, and it's unsweetened for those of us who don't like super sweet drinks. (via Brit + Co)

Morning Metabolism Boost Drink

The lemon juice and apple cider vinegar add plenty of flavor to this sipper, but the ginger and cinnamon add some nice spice, too. (via Two Spoons)

Blood Orange Lemonade

This Blood Orange Lemonade combines oranges with lemonade (two of our favorite things) and is like the winter counterpart to the raspberry lemonade we love to make in the summer. (via The Endless Meal)

Preggy Punch Mocktail

Add a little bit of summer to your winter bashes with this Preggy Punch Mocktail, which mixes ginger and limeade with pineapple coconut juice. Jelly beans are optional, but could we get some extra cotton candy? (via A Spicy Perspective)

Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour

The flavors in this Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour are all of our favorite winter picks mixed into one. While this recipe originally calls for bourbon, Tieghan's mocktail variation swaps it for apple cider. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Non-Alcoholic Spiced Holiday Sangria

We'll drink sangria at just about any gathering, and we love to make it, too! It's a great option for parties because of how easy it is to set up. This booze-free version makes for a tasty punch that kids (and kids at heart) can equally enjoy.

The Grinch

If The Grinch is a holiday movie that you have on repeat throughout the Christmas season, then this is one holiday mocktail you have to make. The green color comes from matcha powder, which has antioxidants as well as great flavor. It's a win-win.

Semi-Sweet Cranberry Mocktail

This is another mocktail that's great for people who don't like super sweet drinks. Lay out different fruits and garnishes that your guests can add to their glasses, and you can also add some simple syrup to the table if any of your friends have a sweet tooth.

Christmas Morning Sparkling Mocktail

You can't beat an orange and cranberry mix for the holiday season, and this holiday mocktail adds sparkling apple cider for a whole other layer of flavor that we can't get enough of. Rosemary and cranberries make the perfect garnishes, but we wouldn't say no to edible glitter.

Strawberry Fizz

This drink is full of strawberry flavor, from the strawberry drinks to the cubes of real strawberry you can add right into the beverage. If you can't find lychee sparkling water (or don't want to buy two different drinks), swap the strawberry and sparkling water for strawberry soda. Nix the soju to make it fully N/A.

Cranberry + Apple Cider Mocktail

Covering your cranberries with sugar takes your holiday mocktail garnish up a notch. We love that it looks like they're covered in snow! Don't forget to add some sugar (ahem, snow) to your glass, too.

Lime La Croix Mocktail

Orange juice will give your drink that opaque look and (mixed with water and lime juice) a toned-down color. Add a dried grapefruit or orange slice to each glass for a sophisticated garnish.

Apple Cider Spritz

Sparkling apple cider tastes delicious when paired with cranberries, rosemary, and cinnamon. It's a good thing this recipe makes a whole batch, because we will definitely be drinking the whole thing.

Rudolph's Holiday Mocktail

If you love Shirley Temples, then you'll love Rudolph's Holiday Mocktail. Add orange juice and cranberry juice to your usual mix of grenadine and ginger ale for multiple flavors and a sweet and tart mix that will become a Christmas party staple.

Smoked Rosemary Lemon Ginger Mocktail

Light your rosemary on fire (trust us) and let it smoke under the glass so that your whole drink is infused with that smoky, herbal taste and smell. It'll engage all your senses and honestly it just looks really cool.

N/A Apple Cider Margarita

Change out your usual sugar rim for cinnamon for a spicy edge to your drinks. It'll set them apart and help you cut down on your sugar intake.

New Year's Ball Drop Mocktail

We are absolutely obsessed with this cotton candy and edible glitter technique and we will be trying it at all our holiday parties for the foreseeable future.

Cranberry Apple Holiday Mocktail

Simple syrup offsets the tart flavor of cranberry juice, but with the sparkling apple cider, the drink doesn't taste too heavy. You can't forget the apples and sugared cranberry garnish!

Fruity Ice Cube Mocktail

Fruity ice cubes (learn how to make 'em here) will take the look of your drinks to the next level while also adding another fun element to the flavor of your drinks. We'll take two, please.

Keiko Agena has a complicated relationship with 'Gilmore Girls' character Lane Kim.

“I think what [the role] was for people was different than what it was for me,” she tells Juliet Litman on an episode of the Dear Felicity rewatch podcast (via People). “In a weird way, I feel like I want to honor the experience that people had from the show, and what it meant to them, especially young Asian people, because I get that comment a lot, about what it was like for them to see someone like that on screen.”

And it's no surprise that as much as Gilmore Girls viewers love Lane, Keiko "[loves] her too. I can tell, when I meet someone who knows Gilmore Girls or who loves Lane, it's like, I recognize that love. I see that you love that person."

But it's possible to hold two conflicting emotions at the same time, and although Lane Kim was an incredibly special role at the time, there are some things Keiko would do differently today. “The best thing is to have a Korean American writer [and a] Korean American actor,” she says. “I don't think that that role, cast that way, would happen today. But at that time, in 2000, it was such a different time that I definitely know I wouldn't have said no or pulled myself out of that situation at that time...Now it's just a mix of just having gratitude for having gone through that experience and having that experience.”

Keiko Agena also keeps in touch with two very special 'Gilmore Girls' costars!

And one aspect of Gilmore Girls that Keiko Agena is thankful for is her relationship with the Gilmore Girls cast! And there are two costars in particular she frequently keeps in contact with: John Cabrera (who played Brian) and Sean Gunn (who starred as Kirk).

“There is this kind of lovely nostalgia for that time, and yet also we have years since then,” she says. “I [have] gone to both of their weddings. Our friendship is part Gilmore Girls and appreciation for that crazy time, and then part just like a million other things that are just like friends.”

I was totally surprised to learn she keeps in contact with John and Sean (supposedly) more regularly than Alexis Bledel, but it makes sense when you remember Keiko, John, and Sean are all around the same age — and Alexis is 7 years younger. Hopefully we get another Gilmore Girls reunion to see our favorite television BFF's reunite!